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nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR race car driver. Buddy Baker was born in Florence, South Carolina, the son of two time winner of the NASCAR Cup Championship and a Hall of Fame member Buck Baker. Buddy began his NASCAR career in 1959. In 1970, he became the first driver to ever exceed 200 mph on a closed course. The same year, with a victory at the Southern 500, he became the first NASCAR driver to win the same race at the same venue as his father. (Buck did it in 1953.) During his career, Baker won nineteen races including the 1980 Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prestigious race. Baker is one of nine drivers to have won a Career Grand Slam, by winning the sport's four majors – the Daytona 500, Talladega 500, Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500.; Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bill Elliott, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson are the other eight to have accomplished the feat. He is the only one of the nine to not win the championship. Buddy Bakers Cup career began in 1959 at Columbia Speedway in Columbia SC. He would start 18th but break a shock 53 laps into the 200 laps race and would end up 14th. He would claim his first Cup win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the 1967 National 500 driving the #3 for Ray Fox. Baker would start fourth; lead 160 laps and go on to win by over a lap. His second win would come

the following year at Charlotte in the World 600. His next win would create the record where he became first driver to win the same race as his father. 1971 he would again win; this time in the Rebel 400 At Darlington. Win number five would once again come at Charlotte in the Coke 600 wheeling the #11 STP Dodge owned by Petty Enterprises. He and Petty would part ways in mid season and Baker would go to drive the #71 K&K Insurance Dodge owned by Nord Krauskopf. 1973 he would repeat as the Coke 600 winner. He won both races at Talladega in 1975, and one

of them there in 1976 driving the #15 for Bud Moore. Baker was always a "foot-to-the-floor" type driver. He'd either win or blow up trying. The super speedways fit his hard charger driving style. If the motor could stand it; he'd put the car at the point. 1977-1978 saw several equipment failures and Baker went win-less as he and new owner Bud Moore couldn't figure out the combination. In 1979 Baker moved to drive for Harry Ranier. They clicked and he posted three wins. 1980 was a big year as Baker would driver the #28 NAPA Olds to a win in the Daytona 500. They called his silver car the "Gray Ghost" because it was so fast. NASCAR made them add orange pin striping so that slower cars could see him coming up behind. Baker

also won Talladega that season. His final win would come at Daytona in the 1983 Firecracker 400. He'd win by over 1/2 a lap as he led 45 of the 160 laps driving the #21 Valvoline Ford for the Wood Brothers. His final Cup race came in the 1992 Winston 500 at Talladega. He started 36th but would burn out a wheel bearing just 12 laps from the end and finish 31st. During the time of the aero wars and the fast Plymouth Super birds; Baker was able to become the first driver to ever exceed 200 mph on a closed course. This world record feat was accomplished in the Chrysler Engineering blue #88 Charger Daytona (below).

His speed was clocked at 200.447 miles per hour; a record that was broken later that year by Bobby Isaac. It was recently found out that the Isaac car had two four barrel carbs on it, therefore that run was not done in a legal car. From 1991 until 2000, he became a television commentator on The Nashville Network. He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. In the summer of 2015 Baker announced that he had inoperable lung cancer. In making the statement of his condition Baker said "Do not shed a tear. Give a smile when you say my name. I'm not saying goodbye. Just talk to you later,". Baker passed

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ELZIE WYLIE "BUDDY" BAKER - 01/25/1941 - 08/10/2015